Playing With Fire
by MissyEliart
Summary: A monster is terrorizing villages across Asia. But does it really exist? Apparently so, as Raven is left to deal with this beast herself. But what happens when the empath meets a new friend? Can he be trusted? My first fic! Rated T for battle scenes.
1. There's No Such Thing As Monsters

**Playing With Fire**

A sapphire blue sky, rolling hills, majestic mountains draped in snow residing in the far south is one way to describe the scenery. Perfect. Tromping through a dense forest smack in the middle of Asia, no civilization for miles upon miles, with no idea where you are, where you're going, and what you're looking for. Not perfect. Raven's expression obviously favored the latter, and quite appropriate for the situation which was definitely as far from perfect as things could get. The thing that irked her the most was the fact that this was intentional, as opposed to simply being lost in the middle of nowhere.

The day was going slowly. Unnaturally slowly. This idea had caught up with the dark girl long ago, and her thoughts on this showed on her pale face, which was partially hidden under her hood. The dappled afternoon sun fought its way through the trees, creating a blotchy pattern of light on the dense undergrowth and illuminating the empaths ashen skin as the rays struggled through the tree tops. The Titans had been on the tail of the Brotherhood of Evil, when they received complaints of something large attacking the livestock of farmers, damaging crops, and the like. Normally the local authorities would handle such a case, but since they were in the area, Robin thought it would be a good idea to take a look around. The Titans were scattered across the entire continent: Cyborg searching the north, Starfire searching the east, Robin in the south, Beast Boy in the west, and Raven in central Asia.

They had been at it since the crack of dawn, and it was now drawing near late afternoon. Raven trudged through the dense undergrowth, pushing back large vines and tree branches, twigs giving out under her footsteps with small **_cricks._**

_How do we even know what we're looking for?_ Raven thought to herself.

It was true, too. The farmers who had reported the "attacks" had no description, besides the fact that it was bulky, traveled fast, and bloodthirsty. Not having seen the thing, the size was guessed by the large, five-toed impressions made in the dirt at the crime scenes– in other words, footprints, and big ones at that. But today, there was no evidence like such; no prints, destroyed undergrowth to suggest where the creature might have trod, nothing. For all Raven knew, this "monster" might as well have been a figment of the imagination. It could be, too. Nothing but a prank, a hoax. While the latter seemed more likely to her, there was still the chance that this thing might exist, even if only a large predator like a tiger, ect. There was at least one thing she knew for certain: if this thing was real, it sure was good at hiding.

_**Beep…beep**_

She pushed aside a fern branch when her communicator sounded. She stepped in front of the plant, and as she let go to grab her communicator, the branch snapped back into place behind her.

The empath flipped open the device to find Robin on the screen with rice fields stretched out behind him.

"Any luck yet, Raven?" This was the first time he'd called all day, and his tone sounded rather preoccupied, as if he was thinking the same thing Raven was.

"No. Not yet," came her monotonous reply. "To be honest, Robin, I don't think this thing even exists. There's no footprints, destroyed foliage, nothing."

"I know. There's nothing out here either, but as long as we have eye witness accounts, we have to keep looking." The Boy Wonder answered.

"Wonderful. What about the others?" Raven inquired.

"Nothing out their way, either. But call me if anything turns up. Just because we haven't seen anything yet doesn't mean it isn't out there."

"Will do." _There is nothing out there, Robin. _She'd do what he told her to do, but that didn't mean she had to believe there was something sabotaging farmers' profit.

"You remember what time to check back?"

"Yeah. Tomorrow, noon."

"Robin out."

The screen went black, and she flipped the device closed, returning it to its original place. Doing what she was told, Raven parted her way through the forest on the direction that she was going before Robin had called. Not long after she had resumed her hike, she reached a clearing, residing on the edge of a cliff. The trees disappeared, and small plants and grass grew along the ground, save for a few spots where dirt and rock poked through. The clearing was not really a cliff, but rather earth jutting out about fifty yards on the side of a tall hill, though it was still a steep drop of about seventy feet to the ground below. The edge of the forest arched around the clearing like a semi-circle, as if someone had used a giant ice cream scoop to dig out the trees and undergrowth.

She stepped out into the clearing. "Great. And just when I thought it couldn't get any worse… a dead end." The empath said coldly, with a touch of frustration. She sighed.

_Oh well…Better turn back around and—_

Her thoughts were interrupted by a faint noise in the forest behind her. She turned around, facing the forest, with a mixed look of confusion and intent. The sounds were faint and recurring, like the ticking of a clock…only bigger. Much bigger. As the sound got closer, Raven pinpointed the sound as footsteps. As this thought crossed the empaths mind, she prepared herself for the worst. Trees bowed slightly and birds scattered in every which direction as whatever it was made its way closer and closer…

_It couldn't possibly be…no…it couldn't. Could it?_

Her intense violet gaze seemed to pierce the forest. At that moment, the thing made itself very clear as to what it was as it stuck its head out of the foliage, and began to sniff the air with its long, scaly snout. The sun shone off the creatures gleaming white scales. Its face was long and resembled that of an alligators, save for the long, menacing horns on the either sides of its head, near the base of its skull. Smaller horns stretched from the bottom of these horns, to its chiseled jowls. As the thing stretched further into the clearing, it revealed a long neck. It gingerly placed its feet, one after the other, into the edge of the clearing, each with five coal black claws about a foot long, and razor sharp.

_A…dragon?!_


	2. Trapped

Hey y'all! I'm so excited for chapter two of my fic, and I hope you like it. So without further ado, chapter two! (See that? I rhymed)

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Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, nor will I ever. Crap.

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The dragon stepped even farther into the clearing, until Raven felt threatened enough to take action. Having no time to be stunned, she quickly snapped into fight mode.

As she warmed up her powers, the dragon swung its head around, and the two gazes met. The creature had found what it was looking for and began to charge toward the titan, its long claws pounding the ground as it ran at an amazing speed.

"Azarath, metrion, zinthos!" Trees were uprooted from their places and levitated off the ground to become a barrier between the creature and Raven. The animal didn't seem to notice, and continued to charge forward. All of a sudden, the black aura around the trees disappeared, and the large plants crashed to the ground, sending branches and leaves flying in every direction. The empath gaped at the scene, with a shocked look plastered across her pale features.

"How…?" she said out loud to herself. Realizing that the dragon was still coming toward her, she summoned up her powers once again. "Azarath, metrion, zinthos!"

The dragon had frozen in mid-stride, its long slender body surrounded by a black aura, as if it were frozen in time.

_What now? This should buy me some time, until I figure out what happened before…but I can't hold this forever._

She didn't have to. The dragon's eyes began to glow an eerie blue, and as quickly as her aura had appeared, it vanished again. As the dragon reanimated itself, the baffled titan began to desperately throw the fallen trees at the dragon, but instead of hitting her target, they fell from her control to the ground below them before they so much as made contact with the large animal. All the while, the creature was slowly advancing forward, its eyes glowing their eerie blue, as it forced Raven closer to the edge of the cliff. The battle had now progressed towards the middle of the clearing.

_He's…He's absorbing my powers somehow…_A panicking Raven thought to herself, still hurling trees at her bus-sized opponent who continued to cancel her attacks in mid-air. The dragon stopped in its tracks, reared back its head, and just before it lunged open-jawed at Raven with a force that would most certainly kill her, she sunk into the ground through a disk of black energy. The creatures head smashed into the earth with a sickening **_whump_**, and upon realizing it had missed its target, it picked itself up, and swept its menacing gaze back and forth in vain search of its prey.

"My powers aren't going to be of any use if it just absorbs them every time I attack, but maybe if I surprise the thing…"

Behind the dragon, Raven prepared for a sneak attack. The empath rose through the ground in the same black disk she disappeared in, but as she did so, the behemoth swung its great head around, snarling, prepared for its next attack on the girl. Without turning around, the dragon swung its tail around so it curled up against its hind legs, and as if it was spring-loaded, swung it back in Raven's direction with great speed. Using her quick reflexes, she summoned a force field, but the energy-absorbing the dragon had done had taken its toll. The force field was not nearly as strong as it normally would have been, but it wouldn't have mattered anyway. The creature's eyes began to glow, and her force field of black energy vanished, leaving her vulnerable. The dragon's tail lashed forward and smashed into Ravens side with incredible force, sending her careening half way across the clearing. She crashed into the ground about ten yards from the edge of the cliff, and lay on the ground passed-out for a few seconds before coming to. She groaned at the increasing pain in her side. _It can…s-sense my energy…signature. I…can't b-beat this thing…by myself… _With effort, she got to her feet, wincing at the pain, and immediately thought of calling the other titans. She reached for her communicator, but to no avail.

"The communicator!" the empath gasped.

The device had been thrown clear across the battlefield by the force of the blow, and sat in a patch of tall weeds. The only thing standing in her way was the overgrown lizard eying her hungrily with its fierce, icy-blue eyes.

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Okay! Well, that does it for chapter two. I know it was short, but I'm still getting the hang of this. Plus, it seemed like a good place to stop. Any way, please review! Even flames are welcome, and and advice is even better!

-MissyE.


	3. Disconnected

Chapter three commin' at ya! By the way, these chapters are going up pretty fast now, but they won't for long, because school's getting kind of crazy, so I may not be able to update as often. Just a heads up. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Apples and oranges, bubble and gum, last time I checked, I didn't own 'em.

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The device had been thrown clear across the battlefield by the force of the blow, and sat in a patch of tall weeds. The only thing standing in her way was the overgrown lizard eying her hungrily with its fierce, icy-blue eyes.

A deep growl rumbled in the back of the dragon's throat. Somehow, it knew what she wanted, and wouldn't budge from its spot between her and her only chance of salvation. The empath narrowed her eyes in thought. Her hood had blown back some time before, and now a violet strand of hair teased her by hanging in front of her face.

_I'm not going to be able to sneak past it, and I can't use my powers, but I should be able to outsmart it. This thing couldn't possibly be that clever._

"Okay, lizard-breath! Show me what you got!" She yelled to her opponent. Her cool, violet gaze concealed her growing panic.

The dragon crouched, like a cat ready to pounce and opened its mouth bearing dagger like teeth in an intimidating hiss, but still refused to move from where it was planted.

_Oh, God, I hope this works. _There was no time for second thoughts; it was now or never. Pushing all her worries to the back of her mind, she charged forward with a burst of speed, making a beeline for the scaly behemoth, jumping over fallen trees and stray branches that littered the ground. Just before she reached her target, she swerved to the left, taking her opponents attention along with her. The dragon twisted its body in the direction that the empath was headed.

As the creature began to snap at her with its powerful jaws attempting to sink its teeth into the titan, she reached the middle of the creature's long, slender body, and dove between its short legs. She slid on the dirt, scraping her knees and the palms of her hands on the hard ground. Her left cheek caught a fallen branch, leaving a crimson streak across her pale skin. She exited on the other side, the dragon now with its back to her. She scrambled to feet, running in the direction of her communicator which lay among the weeds. She snatched the device from its place in the dirt as her opponent swiveled its head in a complete one-eighty, the rest of its body quickly following suit.

The creature, realizing it had been careless in guarding the device, began shortening the distance between him and the empath, gaining speed with every step. Raven took off as well, but unable to fly in fear of what the dragon might do, she ran as fast as her legs would take her to the farthest part of the clearing, a good thirty yards away. She slipped behind a tree, the small trunk barley concealing her thin figure. Knowing she couldn't stay hidden for long, she frantically flipped open the communicator, her back pressed against the trunk of the tree.

"Raven calling Robin. Raven calling Robin." She spat out between breaths. "Come on Robin. Pick up, please," she pleaded.

But the only thing on the screen was static. The device had been damaged as well. Now there was no way to make contact, and if she couldn't beat this thing, it'd probably kill her. She could communicate telepathically, but that would give away her hiding place. The dark girl closed her violet eyes and leaned her head back against the trunk of the tree, still breathing heavily.

_I'm on my own now…This is a lose-lose situation, so I'll just go at it with everything I've got and hope for the best._

Leaving the device on the ground, the empath ran out from behind the tree, making a beeline for her scaly opponent. Before it realized what was happening, Raven leapt into the air, planting a powerful roundhouse kick square in its jaw. The large creature hissed and staggered back, furiously shaking its great head from side to side. Between the hissing and snarling, it blew short-lived bouts of fire into the air, as if to intimidate its prey, and succeeding.

"Perfect. Something else to look out for…" Raven said coldly under her breath.

As her opponent began to recover from its shock, the dark girl charged forward for another attack. The enraged dragon drew its left claw from underneath it, all five coal black claws glinting in the sunlight, and brought it down to meet the empath.

She was thrown sideways a few feet by the force of the blow. Her legs buckled, and she fell to the ground. The attack had torn the fabric of her uniform, and left two fresh slash marks across her rib cage. She held her side, wincing at the pain. She felt a warm, sticky liquid beginning to run down her palm and thread through her fingers, and when she lifted her hand to examine it, she saw that it was stained crimson with blood.

Still clutching at her side, she struggled to her feet. How much more of this would she have to endure before the creature simply finished her off? No matter what, she knew it couldn't come to that. She gasped at the pain from the fresh wounds, which felt like knives continually hacking at her side. Blood trickled down the torn fabric of her uniform, until it reached her thigh, staining her pale skin with delicate traces of deep red.

"No m-matter… how b-beaten I get... I h-have to beat… it," the empath said in her monotonous voice, just above a whisper. She set her mind on the dragon, and the rest of the world seemed to fade away, leaving only her and her opponent. She was determined to rid the world of this awful beast, and at the moment, nothing else mattered.

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Cliff hanger! Alright. So now that you read the story, you must review, review, review!! Do it for my grandpa, because today's his B-day. Kisses! 

-MissyEliart


	4. Rebellion

Okay, this would be chapter four! Plus, I put up a new oneshot, so check out that one, too. It's called "White as Snow", and it's awesome. So, don't let my babbling hold you back!

Disclaimer: Apples and oranges, bubble and gum, last time I checked, I didn't own 'em. ...Nuts...

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Seeing that it had wounded its prey, the dragon had a new sense of pride. Its opponents fight was dwindling, and it could finish her off at anytime. A deep rumble like thunder sounded in the back of its throat. It lifted its great head, and blew bouts of fire into the air, fine wisps of smoke escaping through its nostrils. The creature could take its time now. Surely its prey was no longer a threat. Raven began to formulate her next plan. It was becoming increasingly difficult because of her dwindling energy level, and power restrictions. But restrictions or not, she had no choice but use her powers. Raising her free hand, she lifted two large earth masses, leaving craters in the ground. The creature seemed almost bored with her petty attempts to defeat it, which was more-or-less to the struggling titan's advantage. Having let its guard down, she knew the dragon wouldn't see an attack coming. Using her powers, she chiseled away at the rock, sharpening the earth she had summoned at one end. The behemoth had sensed her powers, and acting on instinct, began to advance forward toward the dark girl.

_Come on. Closer, closer…_

The dragon continued to advance ever so slowly, which was like watching a steamroller coming forward, but not being able to get out of the way. When its scaly snout was about ten feet away from the empaths daring violet stare, she mustered up all of her courage.

"Azarath…metrion…_zinthos!_" She hurled the deadly masses straight for the creatures face. Before it could absorb the unexpected attack, they slammed into it, one of them brushing past its shoulder blade, the other hitting it sideways across the face. It reared back, snarling and roaring, not only from the fresh cut in its shoulder and throbbing pain in its face, but also surprise. It had underestimated its prey, and it was time it brought this to an end.

Raven saw that her attack had temporarily blinded the beast, and knowing that she didn't have a lot of time before it recovered; she tried to forget about the pain from the gashes in her side and went in for another attack. She gathered most of what was left of her strength, and ran forward. The dragon shook its head from side to side, the deep red from the cut on its shoulder blade tracing the outline of its scales and reflecting the sun with pinpoints of light. The shaking ceased as it regained its vision. As the beast came back to its senses, the charging empath filled its vision. She came forward at a speed at so fast, it knew she couldn't stop properly. Raven had underestimated her opponent as well. Not only did this creature have brawn, it had brains. Nevertheless, she charged forward, leaping nimbly into the air so as to plant another powerful kick in its face. But before she could finish the attack, the behemoth quickly lowered its head so that its fierce hooked horns were directly in the dark girl's path. The dragon thrust its horns forward in one swift, vicious movement, striking her in mid air square in the stomach as the two forces collided. Raven flew backwards, hitting her head, and blacked out.

Rays of sun began to invade Raven's dark world. Her surroundings became lighter and lighter until the blotches of color she saw came into focus. The empath was beginning to come to after being knocked senseless by her massive opponent, a small trickle of blood flowing from the corner of her mouth; a result of the harsh knock in the head she had taken earlier. She groaned. Her temples throbbed as she grimaced at the bitter taste of blood that still lingered in her mouth. How long had she been out? A few seconds, minutes, perhaps even hours? As she gained more and more consciousness, she was aware of a strange pressure on her back and neck. In one swift jolt, the pressure greatly increased, forcing the wind out of her lungs and making it difficult to breathe. The empath realized too late that while she was unconscious, the dragon had pinned her down with one powerful claw, and was tightening its grip, forcing its weight on her entire torso.

She was quite literally stuck between a rock and a hard place. What could she do now? It couldn't hold her like this forever, could it? Would it simply kill her quickly, or would it make her suffer? Questions like this swirled in her head, invading her thoughts. Pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind, she tried to think of how to free herself from her captors grasp. She had just and enough strength for an escape, she determined, but just as she was preparing for a counter attack to regain her freedom, her captor lowered its menacing face until it was only a few feet from the empaths, teeth bared, and features contorted as if it were sneering at the dark girl, taunting its victim. Icy blue light poured from the creature's beady eyes, as an aura of the same eerie blue surrounded Ravens battered body.

The empath felt herself begin to grow weaker and weaker, her breathing becoming ragged and shallow, the fight slowly being drained from her body. Her violent struggling subsided, leaving weak efforts in their wake. She gasped as waves of pain wracked her body.

_I-it's…draining my energy…I…h-have to do s-something before…he completely d-drains me…_

Raven's logic fought through her fear. She cried out as yet another wave of pain swept through her tired body, sapping her powers. She had to act fast if she wanted to free herself. It would cost her all of her remaining energy, but she knew it was necessary for her survival.

She closed her eyes, focusing the rest of her remaining powers.

"Azarath…metrion…"

Black light poured from her amethyst eyes as wisps of black energy swirled around the dark girl, creating a whirlwind of energy. Numerous fallen branches and twigs were caught up in the hurricane, which tossed them back into the forest like daggers.

"Zinthos!"

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Okay, so I'll let you know, that the begining to the next chapter might be a little akward, so it might be wise to re-read the end of this chapter before you read the next one that I'll be posting tomorrow. And thank you to everyone who has been reviewing! Keep up the reviews!

-MissyE.


	5. Help At Last

As I promised, here's the next chapter! Now, I'll tell you this now so y'all don't think I ditched you, but I won't be able to update tomorrow... But I should be able to update on Thursday. Just thought you might want to know that, so you'l have to be in suspence until then. I'm so cruel...:)

Disclaimer: Even if I said I did own them, all they would be able to get from me would be $10.58. So ha!

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A violent burst of black energy was unleashed upon her captor so powerful, it was thrown backwards, releasing its crushing grip on the dark girl. Black wisps swirled in the air until they vanished into the forest as wind whistled through the trees.

The black storm subsided, leaving an eerie calm in its wake. The beast lay on its side, struggling to its feet, as the sun reflected off its snow white scales, sending small pinpoints of light back into the sapphire sky. The behemoth snarled and screamed, twisting its long, slender body in an attempt to return to its feet, which flailed helplessly, trying to grasp at the air.

The empath was just barely standing, her breathing heavy and ragged. Both uniform as well as body were badly torn and battered. Her icy gaze fell on the struggling creature before her.

"Game set… and match…," she whispered hoarsely between breaths. She swayed on her feet for a moment, and fell to her knees. The attack left her utterly drained, her powers completely used. Pain wracked every square inch of her body. She doubled over, grasping the wound at her side with one trembling hand. Blood flowed freely from the gashes, staining the ground below it with small pools of deep red. Meanwhile, her opponent had rolled over unto its side and quickly righted itself. The creature was infuriated by how it had yet again underestimated its opponent. But upon seeing how vulnerable its prey's latest attempts had left it, it saw no reason to worry. It was time to move in for the kill.

The beast lumbered forward with a limp, no thanks to Raven. It moved slowly, seeing no point in wasting energy that needn't be; surely its prey was not going anywhere anytime soon.

Raven lifted her head, only for the dragon to fill her vision, a pained expression on her dirt and crimson streaked face. _Why does it insist on torturing me? _

"Haven't I put up with you long enough?" Her usual monotonous tone dripped with pain and disgust. Shakily, she rose to her feet, her body screaming at the sudden movement. The dragon quickened its pace to a trot. Every instinct told her to run, but her common sense objected, telling her that she was in no condition to. Summoning all her remaining strength, she began to run, only to fall ten feet from her starting point, her ankle twisting upon impact. Pain shot through her leg. Even though her life depended on it, there was no way to escape what was now inevitable. Acting on sheer will power, she once again rose to her feet with tremendous effort, tears forming in her violet eyes. The creature shifted directions so that it was once again facing the dark girl. Their icy gazes met. The dragon continued to trot forward, now beginning to act as if this were some sort of game. Raven could not move from where she was standing, and had no choice but to use her powers.

"A-azarath…metrion…"

But as soon as the boulder she had chosen lifted off the ground, the black aura faded, and it fell back to the earth with a **_thud_**. This time, however, the dragon was not at fault. The empaths powers were so used, that they simply ceased to exist for the time being. Reality washed over the empath. There was absolutely nothing she could do now but wait for the end.

_Why? Why couldn't I beat this thing? What did I do wrong?_

"Why?" came Raven's hoarse whisper. She noticed that the creature had slowed its pace and stopped some few yards ahead of her. It reared back its head, and then shot it forward, so that it was at eye level with the dark girl. It spread its jaws apart, revealing it's razor-sharp teeth, and spat a pillar of white hot flame at the empath. Raven slammed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth and jumped aside as efficiently as she could, but it was not efficient enough. The pillar of fire brushed past her left arm burning through the fabric of her uniform from below the shoulder to just past her elbow, scorching her pale skin and leaving an open wound in its wake. Blood trickled from the fresh injury down her arm, leaving red streaks on the back of her hand and twisting around her fingers before finally dripping from her fingertips to stain the green grass below deep red. Searing pain shot through her arm as she failed to suppress a yelp. She staggered back a few feet, her wounded arm trembling from the damage. She was now standing a mere few feet away from the edge of the cliff. The creature started for her once again, but Raven didn't care anymore. Reality tightened its grip on her, grim thoughts racing through her head. A tear slid down her dirt streaked face as intense pain enveloped her entire body. Her vision blurred, as the world around her grew black. She swayed on her feet for a few seconds before falling backwards over the edge of the cliff, unconscious. The empaths battered body tumbled over rocks and boulders before landing on a small platform of earth jutting from the side of the cliff. The dragon's long body spilled over the edge of the cliff and snaked its way down through the rocks. The beast's head loomed menacingly over the dark girl's lifeless body, teeth bared.

But before it had a chance to sink its teeth into the empath, a long metal object collided with the top of its skull. It whipped its head around, turning its attention away from its unconscious prey for a moment to scan the top of the cliff.

"Hey ugly! Over here!"

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Yet another cliff hanger! Can anyone try to guess who the person at the end of the chapter is?! Props to anyone who can figure it out! Well, as always, review, give advice, ect. Kisses!

-MissyE.


	6. Finding Raven

I'm sorry this chapter's late, and I know I haven't updated in days, but I'm updating now, and I plan on updating tomorrow, as well.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. Crap.

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The creature's head snapped in the direction the voice had originated from. There, on the top of the cliff, was a young man wielding a long metal staff, resembling the one Robin carried. He wore a sleeveless white t-shirt and tan shorts that stopped just before his knees, a sash tied neatly around his waist. His jet-black hair stood out against the blue sky.

The behemoth dash back up the cliff to meet the young man, who jumped nimbly aside as the creature approached him, obviously angered by the fact that its meal had been interrupted.

"Haven't you caused enough trouble? Go back to the barren mountains from which you came!" the young man shouted as he expertly twirled his staff in his hand. His voice was calm and carried a heavy Asian accent.

The dragon lunged forward ready to bite the man's head off, but the stranger blocked the attack by thrusting his staff in front of its open jaws. At that same moment, he swiftly pulled a smoke grenade from his belt, using his teeth to pluck off the top and threw it in the beast's face. As he leapt off the edge of the cliff, the grenade exploded, leaving the dragon screaming and lashing about before blindly dashing into the forest and disappearing from sight.

The young man dashed down the cliff, stopping on the platform where Raven's unmoving body lay. He knelt down beside the dark girl, pressing two fingers against her wrist to check for a pulse. Finding none, he moved them to her neck, just under her jaw.

_There. _It was almost nonexistent, but there nonetheless.

_She must be very strong to have survived such a fight, _the young man thought as he looked her over. She was badly beaten; blood staining her ashen skin where numerous injuries adorned her broken body. Her body was defined and beautifully sculpted. _She's beautiful_ the young man thought as he brushed a stray lock of violet hair away from her face. He gently gathered her thin figure in his arms and gracefully bounded down the cliff, vanishing into the forest below.

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Late afternoon sun shone on Robin's masked face and reflected off his spiky black hair. The expression he wore was serious as he listened to the fifteenth "monster" story that day. The plump Asian farmer in front of him spoke in broken English, rambling on about, what was it again? Something about livestock, perhaps. Most of the accounts he heard that day were farfetched, and none of them seemed to mesh he recalled as his mind began to wander.

_Maybe Raven was right, _he thought._ Maybe there was nothing to worry about in the first place._ _I should probably call off the whole search and-_

His thoughts were interrupted by a muffled beeping coming from his utility belt.

"Excuse me for a moment," the Boy Wonder interrupted. The man simply nodded as Robin turned around and flipped open his communicator.

"Hello?" he spoke into the device, but only static appeared on the screen.

"Hello?" he repeated.

Static.

Just then, a gargled transmission fought through the static.

"Raven…Robin…calling Rob…" As it ended, the screen once again returned to its original black and white fuzz.

"Raven!" he called into the device, but to no avail.

He immediately contacted the other three titans and one by one, their faces appeared on the screen.

"Have any of you talked to Raven recently?" he addressed his team.

"Uh…no," replied Beast Boy, looking genuinely confused.

"Sorry, man. Haven't heard from her," came Cyborg's response.

"Starfire?" The alien girl was deep in thought, trying to recall the last time she had spoken to the dark girl. She twirled one ruby strand around her index finger, furrowing her brow.

"I am sorry," she finally answered, "but I do not believe I have spoken to her since we began our search."

Robins face fell as he began to feel genuinely concerned.

"Why? Something wrong?" Cyborg asked slowly, now as confused as Beast Boy.

_Pull yourself together, _Robin scolded himself. _Raven's very capable of taking care of herself. This is probably nothing. _Robin shook his head to clear it.

"Robin. Is something wrong?" the metallic titan asked of his leader a little more demandingly.

"Maybe. I just received a distress call from Raven." The Boy Wonder said to his teammate, his brow furrowed in thought.

"Is she okay? What did she say?" The changeling spoke quickly, now as worried as his leader.

"I couldn't really make it out. The message was too gargled."

Starfires face fell downcast.

"It's probably nothing. Raven's very capable…" He trailed off, once again losing himself in thought.

_Capable…_At that moment, it occurred to Robin why he had sent Raven to the location he had in the first place. That was where their monster had last been seen, and he thought she would be the most able to find and capture it.

"Cyborg. How soon could you be able to pick us all up?" The metallic titan quickly made some calculations.

"Mmmmm…With the T-ship? Probably take a few hours. Why?"

"Forget the search. We've got to find Raven."

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Tada! Yet another cliffhanger. I'm so bad. So, please tell me what you think, all you have to do is click that little button that says "Go" on it to submit a review, for those of you who aren't computer savy. Kisses! 

-MissyE.


	7. Howdy, Stranger

Wow. I can't believe how long it's taken me to get this chapter up, and I apologize for that. Anyway, I've tortured you all long enough, so don't let me keep you.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. Sue me.

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A strange sensation spread through Ravens body as she felt consciousness begin to return to her. Every square inch of her being hurt and she longed for the bliss of unconsciousness to envelop her again. She groaned as she slowly opened her amethyst eyes, allowing them to adjust to the dim light. The pain in her side was almost as intense as it had been before she blacked out. She sat up slowly, discovering that she was in a strange bed low to the ground. _Where am I? What happened after…_ Memories from the fight that day flooded her thoughts. What had happened after she blacked out? At present, she was too groggy to care about details.

Moonlight washed in through the only window in the small room, bathing everything in a soft white and causing Ravens smooth, pale skin to glow. Although it was dark, the illuminating moonlight caught at her surroundings, making most of the space visible.

With its thin, paper-like walls and one sliding door that disguised itself as part of the structure, Raven thought it somewhat resembled a Japanese hut.

_That's funny…I'm not in Japan…_the disoriented titan thought to herself.

The floor was made of finished wood as well as the thin beams supporting the frail-looking structure.

Her injured arm was throbbing, reminding her of the bad burn she had received. She cringed and grabbed her arm, feeling something smooth between it and the palm of her hand. As she glanced downward, squinting in the dim light, she noticed that the injury had been carefully bound with gauze. Baffled, she brushed her fingertips past her side, noticing that it, too, had been treated in the same way.

Delicate crimson blossoms bloomed on the surface of the gauze, indicating that blood had still been flowing from the injuries even after she had been rescued.

_Rescued… _But by whom? Surely no one lived in the dense forest she had been searching. There had been no civilization for miles. Then again, if no one had lived out here, how could one report a monster sighting as Robin had said?

Since it was a relatively warm night, the empath had not noticed until now that her cloak as well as her shoes had been removed. As she used her hand to feel in the dark for the articles of clothing on the floor by the side of the bed, her fingertips gingerly brushed past something, the soft touch of fabric warmly greeting her fingers.

_Is that it? _But as she continued, graceful fingers gently twisting through the fabric, she began to realize it that indeed was not.

_That's odd…_thought the bewildered sorceress. Then it occurred to her that this _was_ someone's house, and apparently someone was still residing there, and thought perhaps not.

As she began to pull her hand away, something reached up and grabbed her wrist, pulling her downward. Using her free hand, she slapped it across her mouth, suppressing a surprised yelp. She was leaning awkwardly over the edge of the bed, being dragged down by the unknown force, her side screaming in protest as the thing kept hold of her wrist. She attempted to squirm out of its grasp, but to no avail.

Her struggles were weak, but they were enough to make the thing slouched at the side of the bed stir. In the dim moonlight, she could only make out the outline of a dark figure. Suddenly, the grip on her wrist weakened. The thing sat upright and yawned, and as it gazed down to see the empaths hand in its own, it let out a cry of surprise and jumped up, releasing her entirely. Raven too let out a yelp, jumping painfully to her feet to defend herself.

Moonlight washed over the dark figure, illuminating its facial features, telling the dark girl that it had been a young man sleeping at her side. He was certainly asian, no doubt about it, with short, jet black hair. He was dressed simply; a sleeveless white tee shirt and tan shorts that fell to his knees, a sash tied around his waist. He took a step backwards so as to avoid anything the empath might dish out.

Raven was poised to defend herself, for that was how she had been trained: to trust no one. She glared at the young man.

Even though the dark girl's intimidating glare bore into him, his face softened as he took a step forward holding up his hands signaling that he was unarmed.

"I wish you no harm. It's alright." His voice was smooth, and carried an accent. He took another step forward.

"How do I know you're not lying?" the empath asked slowly without taking her icy amethyst gaze off the young man, her voice hoarse from sleep. She took half a step back.

The young man chuckled. "What, you cannot just trust a friendly stranger?"

"Believe it or not, no, I can't," she replied coldly.

"Well, maybe you should make an exception just this once."

For reasons unknown to her, she dropped her guard and let him advance until the two were eye to eye.

The empath sized up the stranger for a brief moment before her voice broke the silence.

"…Who are you?"

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This was a really short chapter, I know, but now that I'm going back and forth between Raven and the rest of the Titans, they're just going to be a little shorter. And please. Review! I have a oneshot that has almost as many reviews as this one. Kisses!

-MissyE.


	8. Want To Talk?

Well, another short chapter, and, sorry, Arcaten, no action. But, for those of you wanting to skip this, this chapter does introduse the new character (name, ect.) so, keep that in mind. This chapter also answers some questions, so be on the look out for those.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. Sue me.

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The rising sun tore through the trees and filtered through the window dressing everything in a veil of gold. Outside, birds sang, filling the air with their symphony.

Raven and Xi had been talking for hours, learning one another's names in the process. The empath had lost her wariness around him, and actually became quite comfortable talking to him. She could not explain her reasons for trusting him so automatically. Perhaps it was the aura about him; warm, sincere, yet at the same time, the two had so much in common. He explained to her what happened after she had blacked out and how he had taken her in and treated her wounds, and how he had chased off the dragon; for the moment, anyway. He was patient and kind and hung on every word she said. Perhaps he was right; maybe it was alright to trust a stranger just this once.

Raven wore a downcast expression on her face as she gazed out the window, her amethyst eyes flecked with gold from the reflection of the rising sun.

"Is something troubling you?" Xi asked of his new acquaintance.

"Huh?" she redirected her gaze to the young man sitting in front of her. "Oh…It's nothing."

"No, I can tell. What is wrong?"

"Xi, it's nothing—"

"Please. Tell me." His deep brown eyes pleaded with her. What reason could he give that could make her want to tell him? This feeling- the feeling of trust was so alien to the empath, she almost didn't know how to react. So she told him.

"It's just…," she paused for a minute, thinking of the right words to say. "…my friends. In that fight, I lost all hopes of contacting them. I…don't want them to worry."

She had explained to Xi previously that she was part of a team, but refrained from telling him their reasons for being in such a foreign country. Xi looked at the concern that played across her pale features. The sun lit up her flawless skin so it glowed like goldenrod, and her large violet eyes… how he could lose himself in them. Her eyes were what captivated him the most. They were the most severe shade of violet, yet so deep and warm. They could be so cold; they would freeze a man dead in his tracks, but at the same time make you want to confess your darkest secret to her. He could see now why she was part of such an elite team. Just her stare could bring a criminal to their knees. Her personality was also something that captivated him; so uncertain, unwelcoming. At first she had been reluctant to even speak to him. After getting to know her, he had made a mental note to stay on her good side.

"Don't worry," he said in a soothing voice. "From what I can tell, you are a strong and capable person. I am sure they are not too worried. Besides, once you have healed, you can go search for them. You will see them again."

"That's the only thing I don't understand… Why didn't I heal myself?"

"I'm sorry, I don't understand." He gave her a questioning look.

"My powers allow me to heal myself," the empath explained. This was something, she realized, she had not yet told him about. "I don't understand why they didn't work."

It was then that Xi realized what had happened.

"That beast… It has special abilities," he explained, referring of course to the dragon he had saved the dark girl from just the day before.

"Yeah. Figured that one out…" she replied dryly.

"But not only does it drain you of your energy," he continued, "it drains you of your powers as well. It will be some time before you're able to use them again."

Ravens heart sank upon hearing this, and she lowered her gaze and stared sulkily into her lap. Xi placed a large hand comfortingly on her shoulder.

"It's going to be alright," he said, giving her a knowing smile.

"Yeah," she said in response, glancing back up into his chocolate brown eyes and brushing a violet lock from her face and tucking it behind her ear.

"Hey," he said, standing up and stretching. "I'm going to make something to eat. Do you want anything?"

As he walked out of the room, she turned to look out the window, watching the golden orb come to rest among the treetops.

"No thanks. I'm going to go back to sleep," she replied distractedly.

The empath yawned, recounting the events of the previous day. She was suddenly aware of her aching body and how exhausted she was and longed to go back to sleep, but she could not free her mind of the thought of the other titans.

_Robin…_

_

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_Yeah, it was kind of short, and I will admit it, boring. But unlike some stories, at least it wasn't _long_ and boring. Please review, and if there's any questions you want me to answer in the following chapters, review and let me know. By the way, the next chapter will be much longer, and, hopefully more exciting. Kisses! 

-MissyE.


	9. Dead End

First of all, I am so sorry I didn't get to update this sooner, but I had a total mountain of homework and reports to climb this ENTIRE month, but now it's spring break, and I've already started the next chapter. I'll get that up as soon as I can.

Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah. Don't rub it in...

_

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We wasted so much time…_ Robin thought to himself. _We could have gotten going sooner. We _should_ have gone sooner…_

Distressed and guilty thoughts plagued the Boy Wonder's mind as he watched the morning sun poke through the mangroves. They had stopped to make camp for the night, thinking that it was too late to carry on their search for their missing friend. They would have started their search sooner, had the T-ship not needed refueling. But now they would just have to deal with the consequences.

They had all slept on the forest floor that night, freeing themselves from the claustrophobia of the T-ship.

Robin strode over and positioned himself in the middle of the ring of his sleeping friends, wasting no more time than need be in waking them; they had wasted enough already.

"Titans!" he yelled to his team, immediately jolting them awake. "We gotta move, let's go."

"Yeah, yeah…" Cyborg muttered half awake as he lay back down on the ground, intending to fall back asleep.

"Come on, dude…" mumbled Beast Boy, rubbing his tired eyes with a gloved hand and slapping his metallic friend sleepily on the back with the other. "Wake up. If I gotta get up, so do you."

Starfire, being a natural early riser, was the first on her feet.

"Good morning, Robin," she yawned, stretching her arms which ached from sleeping on the hard, uneven earth. "It is quite early to be up and waking, though, isn't it?"

"We have to get going as soon as possible. We can't waste anymore time, seeing as we already spent the rest of the day yesterday doing nothing," her leader responded as he walked toward the alien. "Raven could be in real danger."

Embracing the Boy Wonder in a bone-crushing hug, she said, "Oh Robin, I fear for our friend. I am afraid to think what might have become of her."

"I am too, Star. But the best we can do now is find her. Speaking of which…" he replied, releasing himself from Starfire's hug. "Where are Beast Boy and Cyborg?"

The two had fallen back asleep in a heap; the changeling slumped on top of Cyborg.

"Come on, guys! We've gotta go!" He shook them until Beast Boy lifted one heavy lid a crack.

After mumbling something incomprehensible and failing to get up, Robin turned toward their ship, turning his back on the two.

"Alright, Star. Let's go. I guess those two aren't coming with us."

"Yes, Robin," she played along, once again in her normal bubbly mood. "Let us continue our search for Raven without them."

"Alright, alright. We're coming," Cyborg slurred. "You don't have to threaten us."

He stood up, leaving Beast Boy's huddled, sleeping form on the ground.

"Come on, green bean. Let's go."

"Coming…" he sighed, jumping up and shuffling along sleepily to join the others.

"This is the last place I got a signal from Raven's communicator," Cyborg said to the rest of the team, not looking up from the co ordinance plastered across his arm panel. He absent-mindedly pushed a branch from his path, letting it fall back in to place behind him. The rest of the Titans followed behind their hybrid friend, allowing him to take the lead.

"How much farther, Cyborg?" an anxious Robin asked him.

"Actually, we're here," he replied, stepping out of the forest. "There's a clearing just…ahead…" He trailed off as his eyes widened as they met what stood before him.

"No…," murmured the metallic Titan, stopping dead in his tracks.

"Cyborg, what…" His leader gasped as he, too, took in the ugly scene.

Numerous trees had been ripped from the dirt and scattered across the ground. Earth had been upturned, and the undergrowth at the edges of the clearing was blown backwards, as if a strong wind had flattened them. Branches and twigs sprung up from the forest floor, their splintered edges viciously spearing the sky. Massive gashes scarred the ground, as if an enormous animal had scored the earth with its claws. It was obvious there had been a fight, but between who, or for that matter, what?

"Yes, Starfire," came Beast Boy's voice from behind his flabbergasted teammates. "I'm sure that's a bird. What else would it-ow!"

He ran into his leader, who had stopped just in front of him.

"Dude, why'd you stop?" asked the changeling, peering over the Boy Wonder's shoulder. He gasped at what he saw, and was soon joined by Starfire.

"What…What happened?" he stammered, his emerald eyes wide.

"Cyborg," the alien warily addressed her teammate. "This cannot be the correct place. Please, your 'co ordinance' is incorrect. Surely our friend would not have come through this way."

"No. This is the place. I'm sure of it," he answered, rechecking the last known location of their missing friend.

The alien gasped. "Friends, we must find her! She might be hurt!"

"Titans," their leader barked, now very concerned of his friend's whereabouts and well-being. "Search every inch of this clearing and the surrounding forest. If you find anything, tell me right away. We find Raven's communicator, we find Raven."

Guilt washed through him. _Why_ didn't they start their search sooner? They might have been able to prevent this. Now he was even unsure of whether she was alright or not.

The four remaining Titans immediately spread out, scouring the clearing and leaving no rock unturned.

Beast Boy, out of all of them, was the most concerned, and feared for his friend's life.

"Raven!" shouted the frantic changeling. He cupped his gloved hands over his mouth to amplify his voice. "Rae, where are you?"

He morphed into an elephant, using his trunk to toss aside fallen trees and turn over large rocks and boulders. Then, morphing into a blood hound, he sniffed the ground, searching for any trace of the empath. Picking up a familiar scent, he kept his powerful canine nose to the ground so as not to lose his precious lead. His stout body twisted and turned through the obstacles littering his path. Finally, he closed in on the scent, and turned back into his elf form. What he saw made him even more desperate to find his friend. His voice caught in his throat and he choked on his words. There before him was a massive pool of dried blood interlacing the grass, dying it deep red.

"No…," he whispered hoarsely. "Raven…"

"Yo, BB. You find anything yet?" Cyborg said, stepping over a tree trunk.

"Yeah." His voice quavered as he fought back tears.

"Well, what is it?" the metallic Titan asked impatiently.

The changeling pointed to ground in front of him.

"Oh, man…" Cyborg said, staring wide-eyed at the gory sight. "H-hey, don't worry, B," he reassured his distraught friend, putting a hand on his shoulder. Although he didn't quite trust his own words, he felt reassurance was what his friend needed the most right now. "It might not be Raven's. Remember, our girl's tough. She can hold her own. I'm sure she's ok."

"How can you say that, Cy?" the shape shifter cried, shrugging his hand off. "She hasn't called to say she's alright, we don't even know where she is, and this," he shot back, gesturing to the blood. "How can you be sure? She's human, just like the rest of us, and she bleeds, too. Just because she strong doesn't mean she can't get beaten up."

Cyborg was taken aback at his friend's sudden mood swing. "Hey, chill out, man! I'm sure everything's gonna be alright."

"I know, Cy…" the green Titan said submissively, shedding his anger. "I'm just…really worried about her."

"Hey. Me too. Let's go see if we can find that communicator."

"Right. Let's go find Rae." He brightened at the thought of finding their missing teammate.

"Cyborg, Beast Boy!" came the distant voice of their leader. "Come here!"

Hearing the urgency in his voice, the two sprinted over to where he and Starfire were already gathered at the edge of the forest.

"What is it Robin? What'd you find?" asked Cyborg hurriedly.

"Did you find her? Tell me you found Raven." Beast Boy's spirits fell when he saw the grave expression on the Boy Wonder's face, and the alien's downcast eyes. He looked frantically from one to the other, hoping for an answer.

Robin didn't speak, but instead held out his hand. Sitting in his outstretched palm, was the cracked and broken remains of Raven's communicator.

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That was a long chapter! The next one won't be quite as long, though. Anyway, hang in there, I promise this story will get better, and yes, Arcaten, this is all part of my mater plan. Kisses!

-Missy E.


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